“We are pleased to welcome Jaiveer Singh Rathore and Karan Solanki to the leadership team at Fairmont Udaipur Palace. Both bring with them a wealth of experience in people development, organisational culture, and hospitality leadership, along with a strong understanding of creating meaningful employee and guest experiences. Their expertise and people-centric approach will play an important role in strengthening our culture of excellence as we continue to evolve and elevate the overall guest journey at the hotel,” says Vishrut Gupta, General Manager on the appointments.
Karan Solanki, Director of Development and Learning
With over 15 years of experience across luxury hospitality brands in India, the Maldives, and the UAE, Karan Solanki joins the team with a strong background in learning and development, guest experience, and talent engagement. Recognised for his people-centric approach and operational expertise, Karan has worked with globally renowned hospitality brands including Soneva, Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Pulse Hotels & Resorts. His experience spans ultra-luxury resorts, lifestyle destinations, and large-scale pre-opening projects, where he has led transformative training and culture initiatives focused on service excellence and team development.
Karan shares, “I’m excited to join Fairmont Udaipur Palace and contribute towards building a culture that empowers teams, inspires creativity, and elevates the guest experience through thoughtful learning and genuine service.”
Most recently, Karan served as Group Director of Learning & Development at Pulse Hotels & Resorts in the Maldives, overseeing training and development strategies for more than 1,200 employees across a portfolio of distinctive resorts including The Nautilus, Kandima, Nova, and Eriyadu. Prior to this, he held leadership roles with Soneva Hotels & Resorts, where he managed learning initiatives across Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi during a pivotal period for the brand, while also supporting the group’s Thailand operations. He was also instrumental in conceptualising the Maldives’ first TED Talk event.
His journey with Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts saw him contribute across multiple properties in India, the UAE, and the Maldives, including pre-opening assignments at Sheraton Hyderabad and Sheraton Sharjah, along with training support for W Maldives and Westin Maldives. His work in talent development has earned industry recognition, including the Talent Development & Culture Leader of the Year award in 2014 for Starwood South Asia.
A certified MBTI practitioner, Behavioural Event Interviewing specialist, and Master Train-the-Trainer, Karan brings a holistic understanding of leadership development, team engagement, and service culture. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from Mashal School of Hotel Management, IPS Academy, and a post-graduate qualification from Proton Business School, Indore.
Jaiveer Singh Rathore, Director of People & Culture
Holding nearly two decades of experience in hospitality human resources, Jaiveer Singh Rathore brings extensive expertise in talent management, employee engagement, organisational development, and strategic HR operations. Over the years, he has worked with leading hospitality brands including Marriott International and Accor Hotels, where he has played a key role in strengthening workplace culture, driving diversity initiatives, and enhancing employee engagement across multiple properties. During his 9.5-year tenure with Accor, he was also closely involved in several hotel pre-openings, further strengthening his expertise in building teams and operational frameworks from the ground up.
Jaiveer shares, “Hospitality is built on people and culture. At Fairmont Udaipur Palace, I look forward to contributing towards creating an environment where teams feel empowered, motivated, and inspired to deliver exceptional guest experiences while fostering a strong culture of growth and inclusivity.”
Most recently, Jaiveer served as Director of Human Resources at JW Marriott Kolkata, leading HR and training operations for a large workforce across the hotel. During his tenure, he spearheaded several impactful initiatives including digitalisation projects, diversity and inclusion programs, and employee engagement strategies that resulted in the highest associate engagement score and one of the lowest attrition rates in the region.
Prior to this, he held leadership positions with Accor Hotels across Jaipur, Kolkata, Guwahati, and New Delhi, where he was involved in multiple hotel pre-openings, talent development initiatives, and operational transformation projects. His contributions to the industry have earned him recognitions including the Best Talent Acquisition & Development Award 2024 by Marriott International and the Exemplary Leader Award at the Asia HRD Conference 2024.
Jaiveer holds dual Master’s degrees in Economics + Business Administration from Rajasthan University, along with a PGDM in Labour Law and a Diploma in Business Management.
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